Accidents Happen
by tistrust
Summary: Ferb is involved in an accident and is now stuck in between the land of the living and the dead. Phineas will do all he can to get Ferb back and to make sure that Ferb stays that way.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Accidents Happen

Summary: An accident implies that there is no one at fault. But someone must pay the price.

AN: Because this fandom is in obvious need of more Ferb-whump.

\-\-\-\-\-\

Ferb wakes up to an unfamiliar celling and a soft beeping noise. It's dim, which is odd, because Ferb usually can't sleep in a room unless it's dead quiet and pitch black, or at least darker than dim. He's surprised to see Father sleeping on a cot next to his bed. The blankets are unfamiliar and Father's jacket bunched up as a pillow. It's only when Ferb sees the IV pole that he realizes that he's in the hospital.

There is no clock in the room and he can't see Father's watch. The best that Ferb can do is guess that it was either really late or really early. For a moment, he considers waking Father up to ask him why he was there and where Phineas was. Then Ferb feels sleepy again and he would much rather deal with all this in the morning.

The next time Ferb wakes up, he's groggy and he doesn't want to open his eyes. There's a hint of coffee in the air which means that father has been awake for at least an hour. The sun is shining over the left side of his body and Ferb wants to move out of the heat, but he's far too tired to move right now. When the door opens, Ferb twitches his eyes, but they stay firmly shut. He hears the tale-tell footsteps of Phineas and Mom.

"Hey honey." Mom whispers, and Ferb hears a light kiss his parents share. "How's Ferb?"

Then Ferb feels Mom's hand on his forehead. She moves his hair back and rubs lightly at his scalp.

"No change." Father says. "The doctors said he should wake up soon."

"He'll be all right." Mom says.

Ferb feels a slight pressure on his wrist. The bed shifts to the right and he can't help it when he slides against Phineas's side.

"Did Candace say what happened?" Father asks.

"She still won't talk." Mom says.

"Whatever it is, it's fine. It doesn't matter. I just need to know."

"Me too."

Phineas hasn't let go of Ferb's wrist. Ferb desperately wants to return the pressure, to open his eyes, to make his throat work, but nothing is responding to him, and he's starting to get worried.

"Did you eat yet?" Mom asks.

"Just coffee the nurse brought in." Father says.

"You're going to have to eat more than that. Come on."

A chair scrapes against linoleum floor and his father shuffles around.

"Phineas, stay with your brother." Mom says, "You have your phone right? Call if anything happens."

The bed shakes as Phineas nods his head in agreement. When the door closes, Phineas lays down next to Ferb, one arm thrown lightly across Ferb's chest.

"I'm sorry." Phineas whispers, "Please wake up."

And Ferb badly wants to. Instead, his breathing was a constant and measured inhale and exhale. His heart rate remained steady and slow. But his mind whirred trying to get something in his body to listen.

"Please, please wake up."

When their parents get back, Ferb still can't move and Phineas hasn't moved. He hears them settle down into seats as they speak softly. Phineas sits up. The pressure across Ferb's chest disappears. But Phineas doesn't leave and once again takes hold of Ferb's wrist. After a while a TV hums to life, but the sound is there just to ward off the silence.

_What happened?_ Ferb searches through his memory, but he's missing pieces. He and Phineas had been building a – something.

_Phineas entered the last command and Ferb closed up the panel._

_"There," Phineas smiled, "The Anti-Gravity 5000 is all done." He turned around and faced their friends, "Who wants to go first?"_

_Baljeet, Buford, Isabella, and the Fireside Girls looked up at the machine and back down to the both of them. They all shook their heads. _

_"All right," Phineas said, "Ferb and I will go."_

_ The two of them climbed up to the platform and Ferb switched on the machine. They jumped off the platform and the machine worked perfectly. _

Then Ferb can't dredge up any more images. He's not sure what to do. The TV drones on, but just listening to the characters seemed a little strange without seeing the images. He tried to sleep, but he couldn't help but think that if he fell asleep, he wouldn't wake up. The day passes and maybe Ferb does fall asleep, he isn't sure. Time seems to flow past him. All Ferb knows is that he still has no control.

"Lawrence," Mom says, "you and Phineas should go home. Get some rest."

"All right, dear." The car keys jingle as Father puts the keys into his pocket, "Please call - "

"- if anything happens. I know, don't worry. I will."

"Come on, Phin." Father says, "I'll try to get Candace to talk."

"Don't push too hard, she hasn't been taking this very well."

Phineas hugs Ferb and whispers. "I'll be back tomorrow."

/-/-/-/-/

Phineas and dad walk in to find Candace waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Her arms are crossed over chest and her red eyes swollen. Phineas can't help the burning apathy he has for his sister. He wants to sit with her and hug her and tell her that everything is going to be all right. He wants to tell her that he doesn't blame her for what happened. That he understands, even though he's disappointed. But he just can't get over the fact that she's not visiting Ferb, and that above all else keeps him from saying anything as he brushes past her.

"Is he okay?" Candace asks Dad.

Phineas closes the door before he can hear everything all over again. He's spent the day at the hospital. He didn't have to hear things second hand. And neither would Candace if she would just come with them.

He sits on the S.S. Phineas until Dad calls him down for a late dinner. He spends most of the time pushing his spaghetti around. Dad says he doesn't have to eat if he doesn't feel hungry. Phineas thanks him and heads upstairs to get ready for bed. For the first few days, Phineas had scoured the internet looking for some idea that he could use to help Ferb. Then Phineas realized that Ferb would need to wake up on his own, because that was how head trama worked. The patient wakes up when the body thinks it's ready.

Phineas lies down and stares at Ferb's bed. He wishes that he could have stayed at the hospital. But they only allow one parent to stay overnight per child. Maybe he could make something that would send unconscious messages.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

/-/-/-/

When Mom and Dad go to the cafeteria that morning, Phineas slips a headphones-like contraption on Ferb's head. Phineas puts its counterpart on his own head. Then, like every morning for the last week, Phineas lies down next to Ferb.

The cords both lead to what looks like an old CD player. Phineas makes sure that they are both plugged in tight and then clicks it on.

_The first thing that hit him was the strong smell of sulfur and the incredibly hot sensation that made it seemed like the very air could explode into flames at any moment. It was hard to see anything, but Phineas made his way closer to a dim light that emanated from the ground. The light never got any brighter; instead it turned into an orange glow. The ground shifted this way and that and the glow never seemed to make sight an easy task. Phineas finally edged close enough and he looked down into a river of molten lava. _

_Even from the top of the chasm, it felt like sauna. Sweat started to roll down his forehead and Phineas wiped it away with the back of his hand. It's not a river like the ones that rush down mountains, but it almost like one of those meandering rivers which turned in every which way, except it moved like viscous soup. Parts were scorched black, but as the lava flowed, it goes from a bright white to a fiery orange to a bloody red. Then Phineas caught sight of something moving on the side of the chasm. At closer inspection, Phineas realized it was a person. Then he saw the familiar silhouette of his brother's face._

_"Ferb!" _

_The figure looked up and Phineas was terrified. Where are they? Why would Ferb's mind put him here?_

_"Ferb! Please, answer me!" Phineas wasn't sure what to do, there was nothing he could use to help him get down there. _

_"Phin?" _

_Phineas smiled, no matter, it was great to hear his brother's voice after so long. "Are you okay?"_

_"Yeah, I'm fine."_

_Phineas knew Ferb was lying. Not only was Ferb's voice strained and raspy, but Phineas's gut told him that they didn't have much time. "Can you climb up?"_

_"Trying. It's – I don't – it's hard."_

_"Come on, Ferb. You can do this!" _

_Ferb reached up and climbed steadily up. Phineas watched, he had tried to look for anything, anything at all in this place, that could help Ferb get up faster. But there was nothing except for the rocky walls, the tunnels leading into the dark, and the clothes they wore. He could go around and look, maybe he could find something to help them, but he couldn't leave Ferb alone. _

_"That's it buddy! You're doing great." Just about fifty more feet and Ferb would be up here. Phineas tried to look for a ledge, something that Ferb could rest on. Ferb must be exhausted. But the cliff side looked extremely vertical. _

_Ferb hadn't even tried to look for a place to stop, he found a few good handholds and took a break. "Phin, how long have I been…here?"_

_"I don't know." Phineas said, "What's the last thing you remember?"_

_"I was," Ferb shifted, rocks skittered around, "I was, with you. And Isabella. Baljeet. Buford. And then - I wasn't."_

_"It's been a while, if you've been here since then." Phineas said, "Come on, buddy. You've got to get up here."_

_Ferb took a deep breath and grasped the next handhold, but it fell away. Not expecting, it Ferb skidded down. _

_"Ferb!" Phineas clutched the dirt in his hands, the edges of pebbles cutting into the palm of his hands. He's never been this utterly useless. _

_Ferb managed to catch hold of a rock that stuck out of the side and held on with both hands. Ferb had lost a good thirty feet. His legs scrambling to find a hold, with nothing to catch him but the lava below. _

_"Hang on, dude!" Phineas said, "Come on, Ferb. You can do this."_

_Ferb shook his head._

_"Yes, yes you can! You've done so much and gotten so far, you can't give up."_

_ "There might not be another ending." _

_ "You are not giving up." Phineas grasped the side of the chasm and lowered himself down. _

_"No, Phin. Go back."_

_"If you won't come up, I'm coming to get you." It took a moment to find a good foothold, and it was slow going, but going down was still much easier than going up. "Come on, Ferb. You've never quit on me before."_

_When the dirt was soft enough, Phineas could dig his foot in and make a foothold, but most of the time he was searching for a small imperfection in the vertical face. _

_"This is a bad idea, Phin."_

_Phineas stopped and looked down, the air wavered with heat. "I never have bad ideas."_

_Ferb smiled and shook his head. _

_"Come on, Ferb. Climb."_

\-\-\-\-\

"Phineas, are you awake?" Mom asks.

"Mom?" Phineas frowns. He's lying next to Ferb, exactly where he thought he'd be.

"It looked like you weren't having any fun." Mom hands him the Ferb-a-cator headphones, she had taken off.

"You have no idea." Phineas says. "What's going on, Mom?"

"The nurse has to take Ferb's vitals." Mom motions towards the nurse washing her hands in the sink, "I was afraid you'd be in her way."

"Not to worry, Mrs. Flynn," the nurse says, "Phineas is fine where he is."

"Well, if all's the same, Phineas should get up and walk around."

"But Mom - "

"Don't worry, Ferb will be just fine."

"Okay."

Phineas takes a quick walk around the floor, goes to the restroom, and is back in Ferb's room just as the nurses takes the thermometer out of Ferb's mouth.

"All right, Mrs. Flynn, I'll be back in about two hours." She smiles at Phineas on her way out.

Mom sits at Ferb's side. Her hand gently stroking the hair out of Ferb's face. She whispers something that Phineas can't make out. When she stands up, she wipes her face before she faces Phineas.

"I have to go pick up Grandpa Clyde and Grandma Betty Jo from the bus station." Mom picks up her purse and kisses Ferb, once again stroking the side of Ferb's face. "I'll be back as quick as I can."

Phineas stands against the door and waits until Mom finishes. She sniffs and before she heads out the door she hugs Phineas tight and kisses the top of his head. "Watch your brother for me."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

/-/-/-/

_Ferb wasn't sure how long he had been here. All he knew was that his arms were numb. His legs were cramping up every few minutes. Perspiration matted his hair to his face and he breathed heavily enough that the slight air that bounced back off the cliff side was the only slightly cooling thing he could remember. His hands were sweaty and dirty, it made it slippery if he grabbed a rock wrong. He was exhausted and all from the effort of just staying against the cliff side. _

_Phineas had been here earlier and when Phineas reappears at exactly the same place he disappeared from, he smiled. If anyone one could make things better, it was Phineas. _

_"Hey Ferb." Phineas said, "You hanging on?"_

_Ferb huffed and kept climbing. Phineas always was the one for bad puns. _

_"Come on, buddy." Phineas said. "You're more than half-way there."_

_It was lie. It had to be a lie. There was no way that he was more than half-way, because Phineas didn't know where he started, and thus had no reference point to judge by. But it was motivation and, for that Ferb couldn't hold anything against Phineas. _

_Phineas had stopped climbing down. He waited at the edge, close to what Ferb assumed to be some good footholds. Ferb was almost there, a few more feet and he would be level with Phineas. _

_"That's it Ferb. Come on."_

_Ferb climbed until his head was just about at Phineas's chin. His breathing was labored and his chest heaved with effort. "I need - to stop."_

_"Okay, but," Phineas said. "just for a little bit_

_For a while, there isn't anything but the sound of Ferb's heavy breathing and the dull roar of the lava below. None of this made any sense. "Where - are we?"_

_"We're in your head." _

_Ferb raised an eyebrow. _

_"Not kidding, dude. Didn't you just see me disappear?" Phineas said, "You've been in a coma for the last week. I was starting to get really worried."_

_Ferb rested his head against the cliff, the smell of earth and the fine, rough gravel under his fingernails. "This - feels real."_

_Phineas shrugged, "It doesn't matter, we need to get to the top."_

_Ferb nodded and followed Phineas up. They both reached the edge at almost the same time, Phineas slightly ahead of Ferb. Phineas swung one leg up on the edge and rolled onto the floor. Ferb got one arm on the edge, but he was so tired. He couldn't pull himself up. His muscles wouldn't work and he was locked in place. Just then the ground shook and crumbled. _

_"Phin!" _

_The ground gave away, rocks and dirt slipping through his fingers. Loose bits tumbled past him and he desperately tried to stretch out, fingers scrambling into soil, feet kicking at air. There wasn't anything he could grab onto. He was falling and it was getting hotter and hotter. He could just make out Phineas kneeling at the ledge, reaching out for someone who was already gone. But at least Phineas was safe. At least he hadn't gotten hurt trying to save him. _

/-/-/-/-/

"Ferb!"

Phineas comes awake with a start, bolting upright and completely disconnecting the Ferb-a-cator.

"Phineas," Dad says, right at his side. "calm down."

"But Ferb – I have to save him."

"Ferb's fine." Dad pulls Phineas into his arms, "He's right here and there isn't – Oh dear."

The heart monitor starts beeping and a red light flashes. Before Phineas or Dad could move, nurses burst through the door and start shouting instructions at each other. One of them, moves Dad into a corner with Phineas still in his arms.

They move away the Ferb-a-cator and pull down Ferb's hospital gown. The machines from the corners suddenly surround the bed.

"He's not breathing." One of them says.

"BP is dropping." Someone says. "Heart rate's all over the map."

"We're going to have to defib."

"1, 2, 3. Everybody clear!"

Phineas can't see much going on, but he can see the bed shake as Ferb convulses.

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AN: Thanks for the reviews.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

/-/-/-/

"He's fine now." Dad says into his cell. "Yes, dear."

Phineas puts the Ferb-a-cator back together and slips the headphones onto Ferb's head. "Dad, I'm going to help Ferb."

"Okay, Phineas." Dad says and turns back to the phone call, "Huh? Oh, no, dear. I promise he's okay."

_It's freezing when he opens his eyes. Phineas's thin summer clothing put up no resistance to the ice and chilling wind. He couldn't find the sun, not that it was cloudy but it wasn't there. As far as he could see, it was white touching clear blue on the horizon. Every direction he looked in was exactly the same. Nothing differentiated, just a vast emptiness. _

_"Ferb!" _

_There was no answer. Not that Phineas really expected one. _

_"Ferb!"_

_Not even an echo in reply. Meaning there was nothing for miles around. Nothing for his voice to bounce off of and not a clue to determine the direction he should go in. _

_Phineas started walking and hoped he would walk in a straight line. His shoes barely made a dent in the hard packed ice. He would have trouble determining where he had already been. But he couldn't just stand there in the middle of nowhere. _

_So he trudged on and on and on until snow started floating down. He hadn't been able to tell at first. He was shivering. His arms were wrapped tight around his middle and he tried to keep his head down so it kept a little more heat around him. But it didn't seem to matter. His fingers were numb and he lost feeling in his toes a while ago. _

_The snow didn't make a difference, it seemed that he was as cold as he was going to get, but after a while he could start to see his own footprints. Secure in the knowledge that at least he wasn't going in circles, Phineas continued to walk on and on and on. And after a while, he noticed that he was walking towards an edge. A defined line off in the distance, marking the distinction between the sky and the ground. _

_He had long given up on shouting for Ferb. It wasn't a complete waste of energy, but it might as well have been. Even if Ferb heard him, Ferb probably couldn't answer back. Or perhaps, Phineas just wanted to believe that he would have found Ferb by now. _

_By the time Phineas made it to the edge, he was sure that his very marrow had frozen over. But maybe it was worth it just to see past the edge. It wasn't like anything he had ever seen before. The edge was lined with what looked to be a field of energy that bent and circled as far as Phineas could see. On the other side, it was filled with bundles of bright colorful orbs making a pulse and glow. Almost like Christmas lights tangled together, if they could float around. _

_Phineas forgot that he was frozen to the bone, that his brother was missing, and that he barely had over twenty hours of sleep for the past week. Because nothing has ever made him feel this calm and this peaceful. _

_He teetered on the edge but slammed into the force when he tried to take another step. It pushed him back, threw him through the air. He braced his arms in front of his face and skidded about ten feet. The snow burned his arms, buried into his shirt and pants. Almost instantly, it all started to melt and water began to trickle down his arms and legs. Phineas took a deep breath and tried to push himself up. Instead, his left arm gave out on him. He groaned, and carefully levered up with only his right. He didn't think he broke anything, but it was hard to move his left arm. _

_He went back to the edge, this time careful not to touch it, and stared out. He could just make out a shape that didn't look like it belonged. The figure was crumpled on the ground but Phineas could just see his brother's unmistakable hair. A soft jade orb hovered above Ferb, as if it were waiting for something. _

_"Ferb!" Phineas tried yelling again. "Ferb!" There didn't seem to be a way through the force that separated them. And Phineas really didn't want to try touching the divide again. "Ferb!"_

_"He can't hear you." A bright blue orb appears in front of him, its voice eerily familiar._

_"Ferb?"_

_"Not exactly."_

_Ferb laid about half a football field away. His head had lolled away from Phineas and his torso twisted so that one arm splayed out towards the nothingness while the other curled around his stomach._

_"He's all right." The orb said. "At least for now."_

_"What - who are you?"_

_"I'm a part of Ferb." The orb zigs around and stops, allowing Phineas to see the rest of the orbs. "We all are."_

_"What's wrong with him?" Phineas nodded his head towards Ferb, his eyes never straying far nor long._

_"We're not quite sure." The orb bounced. "We spilled out and we can't get back."_

_"Why not?"_

_"Do you want the truth, Phin?" The orb asked. It was the same way Ferb would, gently and slow as if he weren't quite sure if Phineas were ready for the answer. _

_Phineas stood up as straight as he could, his ribs protested, but he ignored the pain and nodded._

_"He's losing himself. He's losing us." The orb said. "If we can't get back in soon…"_

_"He'll what? Die?" Phineas shook his head. "No. No, I won't let him. How can I help?"_

_"This isn't your fight, Phin." _

_"I want to help."_

_"There's nothing you can do." The blue orb gently floats to eye level with Phineas._

_"Please, there has to be something."_

_"Trust us. We're doing all we can."_

_"No, you don't understand. I can help. I know I can."_

_"I'm sorry. But there really isn't anything you can do."_

_/-/-/-/-/_

AN: Thanks for reviewing. And I promise, I won't kill off a character without some warning. I wouldn't be able to stand the hate-mail. Or would I? Dun dun dun...


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

/-/-/-/

_Ferb banged on the door. He searched for the hinges, if he could find them, he could dismantle the door, but there were none. Ferb launched himself at the door again. Slamming against it with his whole body. Although the door shook and creaked, it held firm. _

_The window. He pushed and pulled and he even tried punching the glass. Nothing. He was stuck. _

_He searched the entire room. Maybe there's a trap door, a loose floorboard, some piece of the wall he could take off and use. "There's gotta be something." He muttered._

_"Of course there's something. You're just too dumb to see it." _

_Ferb startled at the voice and spun around. Isabella leaned against the door, arms crossed over her chest. Ferb frowned, this made no sense. The door was tight. This couldn't be real. _

_"Speechless like always, I see." Isabella rolled off the door. "The Great Ferb Fletcher, man of action." Isabella circled around the room towards Ferb, "I wonder what he sees in you."_

_Ferb tried to keep as much space as possible between them, but it didn't seem like Isabella cared very much. It didn't seem like Isabella cared very much about anything. Everything about this Isabella didn't match up. _

_"I know what I see." Isabella glared at Ferb, the side of her lip curled up, "Just a pathetic little boy who follows his brother around like a puppy."_

_"What's the matter, Ferb? Can't make your own friends?" Isabella beelined towards him, Ferb stepped backwards until his back hit the wall. She stopped a centimeter away from him. She filled his entire vision. Her eyes roved up and down his frame, he tried to put some distance between them, but there was nowhere to go. "Or are you afraid that if anyone finds out who you really are, what you can really offer, they won't want you anymore?"_

_ Ferb shook his head, he opened his mouth but his voice stuck in his throat. He couldn't get the words to come out. _

_"What's wrong?" Isabella pressed against him, in some cruel mockery of an embrace, fingers digging into his arms. "Can't stand the truth?" _

_He tried to push her away, but she was unmovable. _

_"Look out the window." Isabella stepped back suddenly, the space between them as wide as ever, "You'll know the truth then."_

_Ferb walked slowly to the window. At first there was nothing there except their backyard. The tree exactly as always waving gently in the wind. Suddenly everything swirled together and he saw his family at the dining table. Mom brought out a baked ham and Father started to load everyone's plates. Candace was texting under the table and Phineas seemed to be talking animatedly about his day. They looked happy. Normal. _

_"See," Isabella said, "nothing would change."_

_/-/-/-/-/_

_Phineas sat down as close to the force as he dared. Ferb lay exactly where he was. The jade orb suddenly shimmered and shot upwards into the bright blue sky. A yellow orb zoomed in and took up hovering. Thunder boomed and lighting flashed so bright it made Phineas close his eyes._

_"What was that?" Phineas asked._

_"The ice, it's starting to break."_

_The yellow orb gleamed and pulsed. Bolts of electricity sparked above it. Then it stopped and shimmered before shooting up into the sky. A red orb took its place. Another cracking boom and a flash of light. _

_"What are they doing?" Phineas asked._

_"We're trying to feed our energy back." The blue orb said. "One of us is the key. If we can find the one, then all of us can go back."_

_"Why can't you hurry up?"_

_"It doesn't work like that. The process is time consuming."_

_"I don't understand."_

_"You don't have to." _

_The red orb shimmered and shot up, straight into the sky. Immediately after, a turquoise orb zoomed in. _

_"The red one wasn't there very long." Phineas sat down on the ice and pulled his legs close so he could hug them._

_"He wasn't the right one."_

_Thunder sounded and lighting split the sky in half. The sky was no longer blue, it burned magenta. _

_"This doesn't look too good." Phineas said._

_"We're running out of time." _

_"Did you try already?" Phineas shivered, the wind started to pick up. _

_"No." the orb said, "I know I'm not the key."_

_"Why?"_

_"I'm not a memory."_

_Phineas nodded. Maybe this will all make much more sense later. But for now, he was tired and cold and he really just wanted his brother back. _

_"Ferb." Phineas said softly. "I know you can't hear me. But please, you gotta make it through this. You have to understand. I didn't know Candace would – It's just – you shouldn't have to pay for my mistakes. And I know, I know you're going to tell me none of it's my fault and I should stop thinking that the world revolves around me. But you're the one who's passed out, so what you think doesn't matter. Look - Just – get better soon."_

_The blue orb zipped up and down. Phineas looked up into the sky, between the burning pink was a jagged black line. _

_"I wish I could do something." The blue orb said._

_"You should try." Phineas said, "I know you're not a memory, but maybe…"_

_"You don't understand," the orb tilted forward and back, "I'm not a memory. I can't try, like the memories can, to get Ferb to open up. If I try and I'm not the right one, I'll – I'll rip Ferb to shreds."_

_The turquoise orb shimmered and shot up. An orange orb whizzed in to take its place. Thunder sounded and as the lighting flashed across the sky, the ground shook and the jagged, black void grew. _

_"This place is falling apart." Phineas said, "I think you should try."_

_The orb spun slowly on its axis._

_"What's there to lose anymore?" Phineas asked, "None of the memories could stay longer than three minutes. I think it's safe to say that the memories can't help. You have to try to save him."_

_The orange orb shimmered and shot up. A purple orb took its place. After the thunder and with the lightening, the ground shook and a second afterwards, a resounding roar followed. Pieces of the ground were falling and breaking apart. The energy field bent back and forth as if someone was trying really to break apart plastic. _

_The purple orb shimmered and shot upwards. A teal orb took its place. Thunder and lightning and the cracking ground. Less than a block away, Phineas saw that the energy field snap apart. _

_"Go!" Phineas said, "You need to save him."_

_The blue orb zoomed off towards Ferb and Phineas gave a sigh before running for the hole. Phineas ran as the teal orb shimmered and shot away. The blue orb took its place before the pink orb could take it. The ground shook and Phineas was stumbling more than running, but he didn't stop. _

_The blue orb glowed and glittered above Ferb. Sparks of blue electricity shot into Ferb. _

_/-/-/-/_

_Ferb sat against the corner, as far from the window as he could get. He didn't want to see anymore. He just wanted Isabella to stop talking._

_"They don't need you." Isabella paced the room._

_"Izzy." Ferb moaned. _

_"You're useless." _

_"Izzy." Ferb pulled his knees close and buried his head, maybe he could block this out, "Please stop." _

_"Phineas wouldn't even notice if you were gone."_

_Ferb groaned and slammed back against the wall, "Shut up."_

_"They don't love you," Isabella said, "they'll leave you just like your –"_

_A blue light suddenly filled the room and just before Ferb passed out he heard Isabella scream. _

_/-/-/-/_

__AN: Thanks for reviewing.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

/-/-/-/

Candace has been in her room the entire day. She had gone downstairs for some cereal this morning, but she hadn't been able to eat much of it. Her cereal had turned soggy and started breaking apart by the time she noticed it. So she poured it down the drain and went back to her room. She crawled under her blankets and she decided that she would much rather stay there for the rest of her miserable life.

When she hears someone pull into the driveway, she makes her way downstairs. Mom bustled in with Grandpa Clyde and Grandma Betty Jo.

"Candace." Grandma Betty Jo sets down her suitcase and wraps her in a hug. "How you holding up?"

"Hi darling," Grandpa Clyde hugs her next.

Candace smiles, although she knows her smile doesn't reach her eyes. "Hi Grandma, Grandpa."

"Candace, honey," Mom sets two more suitcases next to the stairs. "Bring these to the guest room."

Candace drags the suitcases upstairs without complaint. Her eyes are puffy, almost like they're too big for her face. She rubs them and heads into the bathroom to wash up. By the time she gets downstairs, her grandparents are waiting by the door.

"We're going to the hospital," Grandpa Clyde says, "are you coming?"

Candace bites her lip and shakes her head.

Mom walks into the hallway and fishes out her keys from her purse, "You sure, Candace?"

Candace nods. She wasn't ready yet.

Grandpa Clyde and Grandma Betty Jo say a brief goodbye and go out to the car.

"I don't know what happened," Mom hugs her and pulls back, her hands still on Candace's shoulders, "but I want you to know that whatever it is, we don't blame you for it. What happened, happened. And the important thing right now is making sure Ferb gets better."

Candace nods. Her eyes water up and her lip starts to waver. She buries her head into Mom's shoulder and lets her tears absorb into the fabric, before they could flow.

"Oh, honey," Mom rubs her back, "come with us."

"I can't," Candace shakes her head again. And then it all just spills out. Because it had been building for a week and she couldn't keep it anymore. Because she really hasn't meant for any of this to happen. Because she can't stop that little part of herself that's glad. Glad, that it's Ferb and not Phineas. And for that, she hates herself. So she sobs out the story, as she remembers it.

_"Phineas and Ferb!" Candace slid open the glass door as her brothers floated by. "You guys are in so much trouble!" _

_Her phone was out and dialing Mom before Candace even got a sense of what the machine does._

_"Mom," Candace said before Mom could say hello, "the boys built this huge thing in the backyard that lets them defy gravity."_

_"Not only does it defy gravity," Phineas said, "but think of the implications, Candace. Astronauts could train in zero gravity without the unnecessary waste of fuel. Think of all the carbon dioxide we'd stop producing."_

_"Did you hear that, Mom?" Candace walked up to the machine, the hum loud and disrupting, but she wanted Mom to know that something was going on, "They're building things for astronauts!"_

_Mom promised that she would be home soon. _

_"Well hurry!" Candace slipped her phone into her pocket. "You guys are so busted!" Candace placed her hands on her hips. Mom would have to see this. Her brothers were a good ways up, higher than the telephone wires. _

_Then the machine stopped whining. Next door, the porch light the neighbors left on, flicked off. The TV in their living room stopped glowing. It took a moment longer, the machine Phineas and Ferb had built was big enough that there was still some juice left in it after the electricity stopped working. But only for a moment. And then, they were falling. Ferb pulled something out of his pocket. Candace could see his eyes pop with surprise. Ferb jabbed at the button, and whatever was supposed to happen, didn't. By then, Candace was already in motion, she leaped. Phineas tried to reach out to Ferb. Maybe in an attempt to change course, maybe to grab the branches of the tree on their way down. Stop their descent by the roof. But none of it was enough, they were too far apart. Candace didn't exactly catch Phineas as he fell, but she plowed into him and they were left with nothing but a few scratches._

_They tumbled into the bushes. Phineas jumped out and ran before Candace could catch her breath. Isabella, Baljeet, and Buford had gathered around Ferb. Phineas broke through their circle, but made no move to touch Ferb. _

/-/-/-/

Phineas jolts awake and lands face first on the floor.

"Woah, Phineas, are you all right?" Dad asks. He puts down his paper and walks around to the other side of the day. Dad picks Phineas up and starts dusting off invisible dirt.

"Yeah, Dad." Phineas says, "I'm fine."

"That falling sensation, huh?" Dad stands straight up, his hands resting on his hips.

"Not so much as a sensation." Phineas says, "I'm pretty sure I fell for more than a mile."

"Hmm…well yes." Dad walks back to the side with the cot, "Your Mum's on her way here with your grandparents. They want to see how Ferb's doing, and we'll head home with Grandpa and Grandma later on, alright?"

"Alright, Dad." Phineas climbs back onto the bed and takes a hold of Ferb's wrist.

"Ferb's going to be just fine." Dad brushes Ferb's hair back. His hand lingering on Ferb's forehead.

"He'll be up and running before you know it." Phineas nods.

They sit and they watch some cartoon until Mom comes in with take-out. Mom hands him and Dad a sandwich each and takes out a salad for herself. Grandpa Clyde and Grandma Betty Jo come in a moment later with balloons and a purple teddy bear. They place the gifts on a bedside table already full of get well cards.

Throughout the visit, Ferb slumbered on. Looking, to all the world, as if nothing has changed. But Phineas knows something has. He feels like Ferb's back, just not here at the moment.

/-/-/-/

AN: Thanks for reviewing!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

/-/-/-/

It doesn't smell like coffee when he wakes up. Instead there's a light smell of tea. He blinks his eyes open and watches Mum turn the page of the newspaper.

She has bags under eyes and her hair is frizzy, though Ferb could tell that she had tried to smooth it down. She glances up absentmindedly and goes back to her paper. For a moment, she freezes and the newspaper shivers, before she jumps towards him.

"Ferb!" Mum gasps, "You're awake!"

She strokes the side of his face and presses the nurses' call button. She continues to talk about the family and how worried everyone was. Ferb swallows and tires to clear his throat to say something. All that comes out is a raspy breath.

"Oh, baby," Mum says, "don't try to talk just yet."

Mum snatches a water bottle off the night stand and twists it open, "Drink slow."

Ferb takes a few sips and hands back the water, "Morning Mum."

Mum laughs, bright and clear and maybe just a little too loud, "Good morning, sweetheart."

/-/-/-/

"Gran and Gramps will be in tomorrow." Father says. "I think they'll stay a while."

Ferb smiles back and gives them a thumbs up.

Phineas couldn't stop smiling. His brother is awake. Awake and moving and…awake!

"Hey, Ferb," Phineas says, "Is it okay if Isabella, Baljeet, and Buford come visit you? They've been asking about you."

Ferb shot his eyebrows up.

"Of course, they can." Phineas says and shakes his head, "Yeah, I'm not even sure why I asked."

Phineas knows that Ferb would have probably nodded, except earlier today, nodding didn't work out very well. Ferb had spent the better part of an hour trying not the throw up after that.

But none of that really mattered, because Ferb was awake and alive and perfectly here. And there was nothing that could take that feeling away.

/-/-/-/

It's half past midnight when the phone rings. It gets picked up half-way through the second ring and Candace is out of bed and at her parents' room. She opens the door and stands in the threshold. Phineas appears by her side. Candace isn't sure, but maybe Phineas was there first.

Candace bites her lip as Phineas ventures towards Dad. Grandpa Clyde stumbles into the hallway and leans against the wall.

"Yes, yes, of course." Dad pulls on pants, "we'll be there as soon as possible."

"Get dressed." Dad hangs up and pulls a sweater out of the closet, "Ferb had a seizure."

Phineas runs to his room, Grandpa Clyde rushes back into the guest room, but Candace stays against the wall.

"Are you coming, Candace?" Dad asks.

Phineas is back before he finished buttoning his pants. Something square and hard is sticking out of the back of his pocket.

Candace bites her lip. She wants to go, but she's afraid. What if Ferb was awake? Would Ferb be angry with her? Phineas pats her arm and stares up at her with those clear blue eyes. She knows that she really hasn't been a good big sister this week. But she'll make up for it. After a moment she nods, "Yeah, I'm coming."

Phineas smiles, for the first time this week he smiles. Sure, it's a grim smile, but a smile nonetheless.

Candace grabs the first jacket she finds, which isn't actually hers, and hurries after her family. She jumps into the back seat next to Phineas, as Dad turns the engine on and they head over to the hospital. She isn't sure what to expect.

The Children's Hospital of Danville has colorful walls with pictures of animals and kids which Candace supposes is aiming at welcoming. They sign in at the front desk. Although it's obviously past normal visiting hours, they are allowed in as immediate family.

"Mr. Fletcher," the lady says, "they've moved your son into room 4462, in the intensive care unit."

"But, he just got out of the ICU." Phineas says.

Candace peels the visitor sticker apart and sticks it on her chest. Dad, their grandparents, and Phineas still had the same jackets as they did earlier. They peel the old ones off and put on the new one.

"Thank you." Dad says as he rushes them off to the elevators.

Dad jabs at the elevator button until it reaches the ground floor. When they were in the elevator, he stabs at the button for the fourth floor, as if it would hurry the elevator along. When the doors slide open, they run.

Mom stands in the hallway. Her shoulders are hunched and both her hands are pressed against her face. She doesn't even know they're there until Dad pulls her into his arms. Granpa Clyde puts his hand on Mom's shoulder. She folds into Dad completely and though she's not making a sound, Candace knows Mom's crying.

Phineas stares resolutely ahead and goes directly into Ferb's room. Candace wants to follow but she isn't ready to face Ferb, even unconscious Ferb. However, she didn't want to stay in the hallway. She feels like she's intruding on something. She looks through the small window of Ferb's hospital room and takes a deep breath.

The lighting was dim inside, more than enough to see by and right below that annoying point where you couldn't sleep. Phineas sat next to Ferb on the bed his hand running up and down Ferb's arm. Candace quietly opens the door and scoots inside.

"He'll understand." Phineas says.

Candace examines the room, from Ferb's single bed to the sink in the corner. "You don't know that."

"Yes," Phineas's gaze catches hers, stops her from taking another breath. "Yes, I do."

She takes a few steps in and stands at the foot of Ferb's bed. She hasn't seen Ferb in the last week, but he's the only thing she's been thinking about.

"He normally looks better than this." Phineas says, "These tubes normally aren't here."

Candace nods and walks carefully closer. She stops at about Ferb's waist, unsure if she should keep tiptoeing or if she should try to apologize. Ferb shifts, the blankets scratch and the bed creaks with a plastic groan.

"Hey Ferb," Phineas says. "How are you doing, buddy?"

Ferb swallows and smiles.

"Someone's here to see you." Phineas nods towards Candace.

Candace is pretty sure she isn't ready to face Ferb yet, but the smile she gets is entirely out of the realm of possibility. "H-hi."

Ferb keeps smiling and holds out his hand. Candace takes his hand and he squeezes lightly.

"You feeling okay?" Candace asks.

Ferb sighs and blinks slowly.

"He's just tired." Phineas says, "Seizures tend to have that effect."

"Maybe you should get some rest." Candace says. "You don't look too good."

Ferb shakes his head.

"It's fine, Candace." Phineas says, "Ferb would prefer the company."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

/-/-/-/

Perry had been monitoring the situation from afar for the entire week. With so many people visiting the house and the family spending most of their time at the hospital, he was pretty sure Phineas hadn't even notice his absence. After reading Ferb's medical updates, Perry sighed. This was all his fault. If he had been able to stop Doofenshmirtz earlier, none of this would have happened.

_Doofenshmirtz ran over to his new machine and threw his arms up in the air, "I call it the Turn-Everything-Off-inator. Or maybe the Off-inator? What do you think Perry the Platypus? I can't decide on a name."_

_Perry raised his eyebrows._

_"You're right," Doofenshmirtz said, "The Off-inator sounds much better."_

_"You see Perry the Platypus," Doofenshmirtz said, "When I was a little boy __in __Gimmelshtump, I tried out for the school play as Romeo. But Roger was trying out for the same part. Our mother told him to because she said that I was too scrawny to play Romeo." _

_As Doofenshmirtz went on about his childhood, Perry looked around for a way to free himself from the claw like trap squeezing tight around his middle. The remote control stuck out of Doofenshmirtz's back pocket, but Perry wasn't sure how he could get a hold of it. _

_"The drama teacher said that Roger had a better voice and was far better suited for the role than I was, so Roger got the part. As luck would have it, Juliet's father owned the local news station, so the whole play was broadcasted all over Gimmelshtump. And my dreams of becoming a world famous actor were over." Doofenshmirtz sighed. "So now, I shall have my revenge. With my Off-inator, no one will ever be a famous television celebrity again!"_

_Doofenshmirtz pressed one of the buttons on the Off-inator's panel. It started to hum, it charged up and a bubble of energy emanated from the ray-like machine. As the bubble swept past Perry, the trap lost power and let him go. Perry dashed out of the trap._

_"Perry the Platypus!" Doofenshmirtz said, "How did you escape your trap?"_

_Perry paid the evil scientist no mind and jumped at the machine. He could not stop the pulse but he could stop Doofenshmirtz from sending out another one. He crashed into the machine and stomped on the self-destruct button._

_"No!" Doofenshmirtz ran over, but it was too late and the Off-inator exploded. _

/-/-/-/

In a way, Ferb has never been happier that Phineas could read him so well. It was always so nice to get exactly what he wanted without having to say a single thing.

"Umm…Phineas," Candace scratches her head, "would you mind stepping outside for a moment. I'd like to talk with Ferb."

"No problem," Phineas smiles and squeezes Ferb's hand. "But you do know, he'll just tell me everything when I get back."

Candace sighs and points at the door.

Phineas walks out, closing the door softly behind him. Candace wrings her hands together, and sits down on the cot next to Ferb's bed. She shifts back and forth, "I'm - "

Ferb puts up his finger and waved everything away. He wasn't angry with her. Because in a sad way he completely understands exactly why Candace saved Phineas. And in the same exact sad way, he prefers it like that.

"You don't understand, Ferb." Candace bites her lip, "I'm your big sister. I'm supposed to protect you."

Ferb stares at Candace's name tag. What could he really say to make Candace feel any better?

"It's not that I couldn't protect you," Candace says, "it's that I didn't. I saw you two falling and I didn't try to save both of you. All I could think about was catching Phineas. And after I did it, I was thinking: why? Why _didn't_ I even try to save you? And I've been thinking about it for the whole week. I could have saved both of you. If I had jumped at the right angle, I could have caught both of you. So why didn't I?"

Ferb frowns. He's not sure what to say and he needs longer than the moment Candace gives him to come up with any kind of answer. If she had even expected one.

"Ferb, I never want you to get hurt, because I care about you and because I know. I know that," Candace takes a shuddering breath, "that if we ever lost you, Phineas would never be the same. He'll be a shadow of his former self, a mere spectator of who he is now. If we lose one of you, we lose both of you."

Candace's eyes are watery again. Her lip trembles and Ferb wants to reach out and pat her arm. Make everything better with a single touch. Because it was so much easier than unsticking words and forcing them out of his mouth. But that only ever seemed to work with Phineas.

"You must remember that for now. I'm okay. And Phineas is okay. That's all you can hope for." Ferb says when Candace gets herself under a little more control, "You can't protect us forever."

/-/-/-/

AN: Well, that's really the whole story. I'll put up an epilogue soon and call it a day. Thanks for riding with me.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Thanks for reviewing!

Epilogue

/-/-/-

_One month later_

"Okay," Phineas stands back and glances over the blueprints, "I think we're almost finished, we just need to attach the flag at the top."

Ferb picks up the purple and orange flags and sticks them into his back pocket. He reaches for the ladder steps when he feels a hand on his shoulder. Ferb glances over. Phineas squeezes Ferb's shoulder and a slight frown creases his face.

Ferb smile and pats Phineas's hand twice. Phineas slowly lets go and nods. Phineas still isn't sure if it's a good idea, but he also knows Ferb's been feeling restless for the last few weeks. He had been trying to keep their projects light, nothing really requiring any height. But apparently Phineas didn't have that many projects where he could keep everyone on ground level all the time.

Then last week Ferb had another seizure while they were putting together new engines for their remote control cars. He supposes that sometimes there just isn't anything he could do. They were separate people after all, but he would do his best to watch out for him. As he knows that Ferb will for him.

Ferb climbs up the ladder carefully, probably more for Phineas's sake than for his own. At the top of the point on their new floating castle, Ferb ties the orange flag and then the purple one right below it. As Ferb climbs down, Phines notices Ferb's chest quickly puffing up and down, like he was hyperventilating. Phineas frowns again. This had been happening almost everyday, when Ferb pushed himself to do some physical activity he could have easily done before. And even now it was clear that there was still a ways to go before everything could get back to normal.

"Phineas!" Candace stomps out the back door, her cell phone clenched in her hand and already speed dialing their mother, "Ferb! You guys are so busted!"

But then again, somethings never change.


End file.
